African Americans’ Participation in a Comprehensive Intervention College Prep Program

Abstract

The National Center for Educational Statistics, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education, compiles statistical data for U.S. schools. As charts indicate, in 2001, it reported that nationwide, 76% of high-income graduates immediately enroll in colleges or trade schools. However, only 49% of Hispanic and 59% of African Americans enroll immediately after graduating from high school. Research demonstrates that high academic achievers from low-income families are only one-fifth as likely to enroll in college as high achievers from high-income families (U.S. Department of Education, Center for Educational Statistics, 2001). This article is an examination of the components of a college prep program, GEAR-UP, which is a federally funded comprehensive intervention program to determine if African American participants improved predictors of achievement (PSAT, SAT, and GPA scores).